Doctor Rec. for Eczema for All 3 of My Kids!

Hi J.,

Sorry to hear you're dealing with eczema with all 3 of your kiddos. I second the recommendation to look into homeopathy. I use homeopathy regularly for my family and feel more comfortable doing this than loading them full of meds. Virgin Coconut Oil may be beneficial in helping to soothe/health the eczema. Some of the benefits of coconut oil for eczema skin include:

(1). Reduces inflammation.

(2). Supports tissue healing and repair.

(3). Supports and aids immune system function.

(4). Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.

(5). Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.

(6). Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.

(7). Provides protection form damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation form the sun.

Other benefits of coconut oil include:

(1). Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

(2). Improves calcium and magnesium absorption, supporting the development of strong bones and teeth.

(3). Improves bowel function.

You may have already done this or are doing so but have you examined food allergies/sensativities? Eczema almost always is related to an intolerance/allergy within the body.

However, anytime there is a condition in the body, I can't help but question what the underlying cause is. Sadly, doctors and the meds treat the symptoms but never address the underlying cause. From my research, I have found that any illness/condition within the body is usually a result of a toxic overload or parasitic infection. You may want to consider a gentle cleanse/detox of their systems, garlic supplements, probiotics and boosting their immune systems.

I hope you find relief for your kiddos soon.
Good luck,
J.

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I don't have a great doc to recommend to you, BUT my 3 kids have all had eczema at some point and it always turned out to be a food allergy/sensitivity. For us it was dairy or peanuts. You can test this by completely eliminating one food at a time for at least a week. Dairy is the most common culprit from what I have seen. Be cautious and read labels if you do this because dairy is in just about EVERYTHING. I now have to buy many specialty foods to be without dairy. After the eczema is gone, try that food again to see if the eczema comes back to confirm the allergy. My daughter can have peanut butter occasionally but if she has it multiple days in a row, the eczema comes back with a vengence.

Good Luck!

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Eczema is a reaction in the body to an allergy, and its likely in their diet. And the culprit 99% of the time is cows milk dairy. Eczema lives in the colon and presents itself on the skin. This bad bacteria builds up and gets worse and worse unless you take care of it from the inside out. Of course you can mask the symptoms (and STOP bleach baths, and google why bleach shouldn't be used much!), but to truly cure eczema you need to figure out the problem and cure it.

My oldest son has eczema and psoriasis. If he has to omuch milk, too much ice cream, his skin breaks open and falls off, bleeds, crusts over, and is painful. So we avoid dairy for him. Things like cheese and yogurt are so processed that hte proteins are almost non existent, so they don't bother him much.

He takes fish oils and acidophilus daily, we use Charlies Soap (www.charliesoap.com), and avoid dairy for him. Once we figured out the problem and began treating him from the inside out, his skin almost cleared up all the way ( but he has psoriasis too so his skin is like 'alligator skin' from it). But its not broken, not bleeding, not falling off, and not causing him pain.

He bathes daily, because the skin needs to be cleaned and the dead cells sloughed off with water so the new cells can come forth and heal the rest of the skin. We put lotion or cream only on the non broken out parts of his skin after his bath or shower, and leave the eczema parts to heal and dry out, because its a fungus on the skin, and by putting lotions and cream on it, you are trapping the fungus in the skin.

Figure out what is causing it, don't just try ot fix the symptoms. Acidophilus replaces the bad bacteria in the colon with good bacteria, and fights it off. The eczema will move around on the skin when you first start it, the eczema will try and escape the good bacteria, then it will get better. My kids both take 'Yum Yum Dophilus' or the chewable strawberry wafers I get locally.

3 moms found this helpful

I feel all of your pain! My daughter has had eczema from the time she was about 3 months old. The eucerin and cetaphil didn't work for her either. Her pedi finally sent us a pediatric dermatologist when she was 5 months old as it was getting really out of hand and nothing we tried worked. We went to the University of Chicago and saw Dr. Sara Stein (http://www.uchicagokidshospital.org/specialties/dermatolo.... We live in the suburbs, so it was a hike, but totally worth it! She prescribed an ointment for her body and one for her face and for her scalp and all did wonders. The body ointment is Fluocinolone Acetonide Ointment and we still use it when she does have flare ups. She also recommended using Vanicream lotion and to this day (my daughter is now 18 months) that is all we use. You can find the Vanicream behind the counter at most pharmacies. She also recommended using Dove Gentle and limiting bath time to the most at 10 minutes. As for shampoo we still use the Johnson's baby shampoo. When our daughter does have more intense flare up we've found that the Aveeno Oatmeal bath soothes her skin as well.

Good luck and I hope you find the answers you are looking for and your kids start feeling better!

K.

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You have gotten great advice from these ladies! I wholeheartedly agree with Janet L. Extra virgin coconut oil is wonderful for actually healing the skin, as well as soothing it.
Homeopathy is an often overlooked solution, but an EXTREMELY effective one. Going to a naturopath literally saved my life.

Going to a naturopath can also determine if allergies are the case. They have non invasive techniques to find out very specific allergies. Dairy and wheat are notorious for causing allergic reactions resulting in exzema.

I hope you find a solution, fast! Hang in there, mama! I know it's hard on the kids to be miserable, but it's also hard on parents to see their kids suffer.

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The only thing that worked for my son was Acid Mantle Cream. Available through your pharmacist. everyone I have referred it to it has worked well for. It restores the ph balance of the skin and does not hurt or smell. A Dr. told me about it when my son was a baby. He had exczema spots all over. It works well for diaper rash and cracked skin as well.

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My child was cured by homeopath. Not cheap, but it took only one visit, and no bulky life style restrictions to follow.
Good Luck
V. (who got so inspired by that event that homeopathy is all she can think about now: )

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Hi J.,
Both my children have it,so I know how hard it can be! We did the diet change,the no more baths,etc.Few things actually worked! Finally with a doctors suggestion we or rather I lotion them up real good with a special lotion that absorbs quickly into the skin,the best part it's inexpensive too! It is light on smell too,and actually works at stopping the itch,but also heals from the inside out! It came highly recommend by our dr. I shower my kids every couple of days and use phospate free,dye free,soaps. That seems to help greatly! Hang in there, it does get better! If you need anything else let me know!

2 moms found this helpful

For my five year old daughter, I switched from regular bath soap and lotions to Arbonne's all natural bath and body products designed for babies' sensitive skin. This has cleared up the red, dry, scaly patches of skin that my daughter had for over a year!

If you don't know of an Arbonne consultant in your area, you can email my friend Maureen at ____@____.com. Products can be shipped all over the USA!

1 mom found this helpful

While I don't have a doc rec I would make sure they have pediatric in their background. I also would ask for them to be RAST and celiac tested as this can also cause skin problems but also internal problems as well. If it were me I'd go to a physcian finder source at either Children's Memorial or a larger teaching hospital as they have the docs and newest technology and usually several brains look at your child.

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I like Dr Metz at UCI she is a pediatric derm.

Okay-so you don't live in So Cal, sorry....Why I got your post I have no idea :)

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I can't recommend a doctor for you but I can share what has helped my granddaughter!
Soapourri Soaps (www.soapourri.com) There is a listing here on Mamapedia. Cindy makes these wonderful soaps in her home and has had national recognition. When I first found them the ease of pain for my toddler granddaughter was amazing. She would request baths to use her soap during times of bad flares. I also recommend the "Butter Bar" Cindy makes. Very moisturizing and protective.
Burt's Bees has a wonderful honey and shea butter for the body (http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/body-moisturize...) I would lather this on my granddaughter after her bedtime bath and in the morning.
If I didn't use this I used vasoline.
Eucerin would make my granddaughter scream and I found Cetaphil too drying for her.
My granddaughter was had eczema everywhere. Since we discovered this regime (there was a lot of trying!) her breakouts are few and far between.
Good luck!

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Dr Milton Moore, I believe is his name. He used to be in Pearland and now he has another location. Look under Yellowpages.com and find the dermatology section. His name should be there. He and his son are awesome.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi J.----Eczema is a horrible autoimmune problem. My husband would suffer from it occasionally. We haven't had problems with it for a very long time.

I know that diet will help with that immensely, although slowly. You will likely need 'intervention' until their bodies can take over. I would try a couple of other Burts Bees products, the Res-Q Ointment and the Miracle Salve. I really, really like these products.

Then, be sure your family is consuming an optimal diet. That diet consists primarily of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Be sure the kids are getting extra sources of omega 3 fatty acids: fish oil supplements, ground flax seeds (put in cereals, pancakes, muffins, cookies, smoothies), walnuts, etc.

Then, you need to remove negative ingredients from their diets. Things like processed foods (almost anything in a box), colorings, chemical additives and preservatives, added and white sugar.

I am taking a series of wellness classes taught by a naturopath who has her PhD in nutrition. I have a wealth of info that I can share with you. In fact, I will be co-hosting a wellness presentation in New Lenox next weekend, Friday night at 7 and at 10 am on Saturday, the 10th. Why don't you plan on joining us. Let me know, and I will have info showing a relationship between diet and eczema for you. It would be honor to have you as my guest.

In health, D. ###-###-####

1 mom found this helpful

I can't recommend a doctor but I want to tell you that there is prescription ointment that works wonders for my granddaughter's eczema.

Also, as Pamela G described, smearing Vaseline over the skin immediately after the bath and then again does help a lot. Vaseline or any other brand of petroleum jelly works better than any lotion. I found a creamy petroleum jelly that was easier to use. I think it was a Vaseline brand and came in a tube.

If you don't get a name for an allergist, ask your pediatrician or the school nurse if your son's school nurse. Both gave us the name of the dermatologist that treats my granddaughter. He specializes in pediatric allergies, eczema, asthma. The yellow pages may identify a doctor who has those specialists.

I need to use dye free/fragrance free everything. NO fabric softener either. Baths make the eczema worse for my kids. So when it is really bad we do baths every couple days or quick showers. Also, for us, there are a couple food additives that make it flare up too. I took my kiddos to someone in Palos Park to have them tested for sensitivities. It was approx $100/kid but they were tested for hundreds of things! Very worth it and non-invasive! If you want info about when I went let me know.
Oh,I really love Dr. Wagner through Chidrens Memorial Hosp, but it takes a long time to get in to her.
Good Luck.
J.

I would suggest either talking to your doctor to see if he/she thinks it may be an allergy. My son had eczema basically from the time he was about a month old. We found aquaphor worked the best for him, but it never went away completely. Later he got milk spilled on him and broke out in hives. I gave him Benadryl and his eczema went away with the hives. We took him to an allergist and the test confirmed that he was allergic to milk. At the time, he was exclusively breastfed, so I cut milk out of my diet and his eczema went away. He is now on a dairy free diet and his eczema is practically non-existent. Every now and then he will get it on his legs now, I assume it is something he comes in contact with, but never as bad as when he was getting milk.

Good Luck,
D.

My friends who have allergies say their kids have ezcema. I'd see what an allergist has to say. The skin is probably revealing an internal issue.

I agree with Victoria. My son had a bit of eczema on the tops of his legs and back. I had heard that most eczema is related to a food sensitivity. I took him for one visit, food sensitivity was identified, treatment given, no eczema at all within about 2 days. Never had come back. I would look into a certified NAET practitioner.

Gosh, I'm so sorry to hear about all 3 of your children having eczema. Sounds awful. I don't know of any doctors, but for now, want to suggest you try giving them more oil in their diets. I've heard that omega 3 oils are especially good for treating eczema. Flax oil is a good one.

Hi J.,
I have eczema, and so do both of my sons. If we're good about lotion twice/day (aquaphor for the little one, cetaphil for the big brother), it's better controlled with a few patchy areas. We brought my son to Dr. Neha Robinson of Wicker Park Derm on Milwaukee (I'm a patient of hers as well) when he was 2-1/2 because he was having pretty bad flare-ups with itching and some skin discoloration. We opted to go to a dermatologist before exploring the allergy/diet route. She actually recommended daily baths in case there are any bacteria that are acting as antigens. We also switched to Cetaphil cleanser using only our hands - no bath sponges, washcloths, etc. She also recommends daily bathing because the lotions are best absorbed on damp skin. We do have a steroidal cream for flare-ups. She also recommended Benadryl at nap and bedtime for flare-ups with a lot of itching, but he hasn't had it that badly since we saw her in December. Hope this helps!

My kids had eczema and I got a water softener and that helped a lot. I would also go to the health food store and talk to them about it. I also use a lot of generic products with my son that don't have fragrances in them to irritate his skin. We also used Gold Bond Cream and lotion. I know it can break your heart because I have watched my kids scratch when they sleep.

We have had great results with a doctor from Children's Memorial. She is a pediactric dermatologist. Dr. Annette Wagner.

My oldest suffered from the worst eczema her first three years; we learned that she has multiple food and environmental allergies. Once we restricted her diet and controlled environmental factors, her eczema disappeared. When she has occassional flare-ups, we found that cutivate (prescription steroid cream) clears it overnight. Eilidel (sp?) never worked for us.

Find a good allergist before the derm. Good luck!!

We see Dr Sarah Stein from the University of Chicago: ###-###-####
She swears by Vaseline since it is pure (no perfumes).
Also, I have found this web site to be useful:http://eczemacarecenter.com/home/eczema

Good luck!

I've had issues with eczema with two of my kids, and have found that limiting certain foods has helped tremendously.
Have you tried removing dairy from their diets? That's a common culprit.
Try eliminating different foods for a week at a time and see if any of the eczema clears up.
Hope that helps!

I don’t have a doctor recommendation for you, but have you tried the Renew brand body wash and lotion? When we use the lotion twice a day on our youngest, her eczema clears up. I haven’t tried the body wash, but my coworker swears by it. She said she loves it because she leaves the shower and feels moisturized, then uses the lotion. She uses both the body wash and lotion on her 6 month old son as well.

When my older son was a baby, he was covered everywhere with eczema. We took him to dr. kemp at dreyer clinic. he gave us some type of prescription ointment to clear everything up, then, told us to limit his bathing, and slick him up with vaseline. I don't know if he is still there,as this was 20 years ago. we currently see dr. wayne blaszak..since my kids are 15 and 21. He has been great for their acne and my husband has had a mole removed.. He has offices in geneva at delnor and I also think he has an office in naperville.

We use Aquaphor and Aveeno (there is a generic at Walgreens or CVS I think)--the bath powder. Just use 1/2 packet at a time--really slippery but it's great.
I also would recommend seriously examining their diets. A LOT of people/kids are allergic to dairy, for example, that shows up as a rash. Also laundry detergents or bath soaps/shampoos. Just a few ideas to poke around. It would be worth it.

My dr tild us to use dove-white, ivory, or Aveeno soap on my kids. Also, to use plain vasoline right after they get out of the tub and are still wet. We also mix the vasoline with the Palmers shea butter cream. It has worked well for my kids. Hope it helps.

My suggestion is to get allergy testing for all of them. Get a ton of foods and environmentals done. My allergist and also my pediatrician told me that something like 99% of eczema is caused by allergies of some kind. Your kids totally sounds like it fits that category. My dd's eczema flares terribly when she's exposed to one of her allergens, be it environmental (ragweed, grass, some tree pollens we're still discovering, wool, lanolin, down, calendula), or food (dairy, sunflower, safflower, seafood, shellfish, palm, coconut, chamomile). We FINALLY got it to clear up completely (until the pollen season started last month) when I discovered that coconut was a trigger for her. It is in almost every soap/shampoo, etc. Once we figured that out (since we knew she was allergic to palm oil internally, it made sense to eliminate all traces of coconut), her skin cleared up so beautifully I hadn't seen it like that since she was born. Her behavior issues went away also, and she potty trained completely (she turned 3 on 3/8 and we eliminated coconut on 2/2) in 24 hours. It's been an amazing difference! Please feel free to message me if you'd like more info. I'd be happy to help. Good luck to you! - J.

I agree with some of the previous posters that it could be due to a dairy allergy. When I nursed my daughter, she had eczema. I never thought to cut dairy out of my diet. When she was about 10 months old, we found out the hard way (anaphylaxis) that she is severely allergic to milk. Once I eliminated dairy from her diet, her eczema pretty much went away. It comes back every once in a while if she is exposed to pets or a lot of dust mites. Sunlight helps make the eczema go away too.

I had pretty bad eczema as a child. Looking back, I realize that I was probably allergic to milk too. I wish I had known to cut out dairy products back then. The pain, itching, and ugliness of the rashes were awful. Good luck to you. I hope you can find a good doctor and try to get to the root of the problem.

Two of my daughters had it the middle one had it from being a few weeks old it did get easier nd less every 7 years it seemed to gradually get better now they are 30 nd 32 the younger one tends to get bouts of it still on her hands the older has a small patch on her body which flares up now nd again, but when they were little i used to put socks on their hands with non allergic plaster holding them on, that helped if they scratched it wasnt nails doing the damage,, I also found that after using one cream for a while it seemed to stop working you need to alternate with different creams monthly
an emoillent bath additive calmed the skin down putting moisture back in
making sure washing powders are not biological, nd dead sea products were beneficial. J. mum of 5 U.K

I don't know if this will treat eczema.
However, when I was a young child I had a very similar condition.
My mother would put oatmeal in a pantyhose, tie it to the spout of the bathtub and gave me oatmeal baths.
The warm water ran through the oatmeal directly into the bathtub.

Updated

Also, my husband has had a similar occurence and what has helped clear it up has been cocoa butter cream. You can find this at any drugstore or grocery store.